[foxmtbr]

Let's hope not. :fingerscrossed:

[neuhickman79]

It may also be your last chance to see a "Sacramento Kings Fandemonium" ...


:sly:
I BELIVE THIS WILL GET PASSED. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to post your last post as a bulletin and a blog on my myspace! :)

[COASTIE]

Found this in my mail box, couple of days old.......same old stuff...but some progress

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Railyards Newsletter
Latest News
August 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friends of The Railyards:

On a sweltering morning in July, Sacramento civic leaders and the Maloof organization announced they had reached agreement on a plan to bring a sports and entertainment facility to downtown Sacramento at The Railyards. For many attendees, it marked their first visit to the historic Union Pacific Railyards, the site of the western terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad. Participants and members of the audience were able to get an up-close look at the six brick buildings which will be transformed into the Central Shops District of the proposed development.

Arena deal July
Thomas Enterprises Vice President of Development, Suheil Totah pledges to support efforts to build a sports complex in downtown Sacramento.
"It's been 150 years since the public has been able to visit this site," said Totah. "It's time for us to bring the people back to The Railyards to celebrate Sacramento's rich historic past and create future opportunities here so the entire region can experience a dynamic downtown in a virbrant urban setting."



City Council Workshop
On July 25, representatives of Thomas Enterprises participated in a workshop with the city planning department at City Hall. Council members were briefed on various elements of the redevelopment plan including the proposed Riverfront District, the Canal District, the 5th Street Emporium, the Central Shops and the Sports and Entertainment District, which is the proposed site of a downtown arena. During the public comment session, council heard from a number of interested parties including Michael Ault with the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, Fred Arnold with Sacramento Regional Transit and Kay Knepprath with the Save Our Rail Depot coalition, who expressed support for the project.

Rich History
The Railyards development will celebrate Sacramento’s transcontinental rail history by preserving and reopening many of the buildings at the site while serving as a 21st century rail hub for Sacramento Regional Transit and Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor service which is the third busiest route in the nation.

Following the Gold Rush, construction of the Transcontinental Railroad began next to the levee in Old Sacramento. The Railyards site was a principal fabrication and maintenance facility and evolved into the largest railroad complex west of the Mississippi. At its peak the railroad employed more than 4,000 workers in the early 20th century at machine shops, a steel foundry and lumber mill. The Central Pacific Railroad – later merged into the Southern Pacific Railroad – occupied the site and was the area’s largest employer for more than 80 years. At one point, the site employed one-third of the Sacramento area workforce. In 1996 Southern Pacific was absorbed by the Union Pacific Railroad. Now, Thomas Enterprises plans to develop The Railyards into a vibrant, regional destination.

Community Outreach
Representatives of Thomas Enterprises are available to discuss the specifics of the project and deliver a presentation to your organization. Please call the office at (916) 329-4500 if you are interested in scheduling a presentation.



Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: news@sacramentorailyards.com The Railyards Newsletter
Latest News
August 2006

[SacTownAndy]

Driving around Chicago i'm stunned at the large civic investment in this city's MANY museums, sporting, entertainment and cultural venues as well as its investment in transforming 30 miles of Lakeshore (to include its famed Lakeshore Drive.) Of course Mayor Fargo is no Mayor Daley and there's a huge difference in how people in Chicago view this city as opposed to the indiffernece many NIMBYS view Sacramento.




That was one of my first impressions after moving to Denver as well. It's unbelieveable how much public money (and tax payer dollars) is spent here on cultural and entertainment investments. The options are almost limitless. The public even voted in favor of a +$1B transportation program called FasTraks which will add over 112 miles of new LRT lines over the next 10 years. And there's not one, not two, but three practically brand new major league arenas in downtown (Mile High Stadium, Pepsi Center, Coors Field).

One of my friends is in town from Sac this weekend and we were out last night in a part of downtown near Coors Field. A game was going on and the place was buzzing. Nightclubs packed, people on the streets, restaurants full. A local friend of mine had said that 10 years ago the same area we were in was completely blighted and the revitalization was all due to Coors Field being built. I pointed out to my Sac friend that this was what the railyards could be like if the arena goes in. So I think we may have one more vote for yes.

I guess the point being is that now having seen first hand here in Denver what Sacramento has the potential to become, I simply do not understand how someone could not want this? As much as I love Sacramento, I must admit it's actually nice to finally live in a city that "gets it". I only wish I could vote absentee.

[enigma99a]

Heh.. RE Graswich is a nut

http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14748

[urban_encounter]

Daniel Weintraub: Why Dave Jones opposes the Kings' arena deal
By Daniel Weintraub -- Bee Columnist
Published 12:01 am PDT Thursday, August 17, 2006
Story appeared in Editorials section, Page B7



Dave Jones seems an unlikely choice to lead the opposition to a sales tax measure on the November ballot that would underwrite a new downtown arena for the NBA's Sacramento Kings.
A former Sacramento city councilman now serving in the state Assembly, Jones represents the downtown area and has been a big supporter of its recent resurgence. A Democrat, he has never shied away from raising taxes.


So why not raise the sales tax by a quarter-cent on the dollar to give downtown a shot in the arm, with enough money left over to pay for $600 million in programs and improvements throughout the county over the next 15 years?
Jones is glad you asked. He has at least eight reasons to explain his position -- and his decision to lead the fight against the new arena.

"I think the game is rigged," Jones told me the other day. "The NBA is a monopoly. They purposefully limit the number of franchises. By reducing supply, they drive up their profits. And they pit local governments against each other to fund sports arenas.

"When the market is rigged like that, there is no point in playing. Sports is supposed to be fair, it's supposed to be about letting the best person or the best team win based on a fair competition. This isn't fair. It's a rigged game. And I think you walk off the court when the game is rigged like that."

Some of his other reasons:

• The Maloof family, owners of the Kings, are wealthy businessmen who can afford to pay for a new arena without reaching into taxpayers' pockets.

• It's a bad deal. Although promoters have said the Maloofs would be paying as much as 30 percent of the cost of the arena, their contribution, coming through rent paid over 30 years, is really closer to 10 percent or 12 percent.

• Cost overruns. The arena is supposed to cost no more than $540 million, but if it does cost more, the public will be on the hook for the extra money. That's not supposed to come out of the portion of the sales tax that would be distributed back to the county and cities to spend as they please. But someone is going to have to pay it. If it doesn't come out of the sales tax, it would come out of other local government revenues that are now being spent providing essential services.

• There's very little economic value from the project. Modern arenas are built to "suck in" as many entertainment dollars as possible, with shops, restaurants and other amenities built into the structure. Even the parking garage would be designed to funnel customers straight into the arena without going outside.

• The sales tax is regressive, hitting the poor and near-poor the hardest, as a percentage of their income.

"There are a lot of seniors and ordinary Sacramentans who are going to be hit by this who are struggling to make ends meet now and are going to be asked to pay for something that they will never be able to afford to go to," Jones says.

• Other needs will go unmet, beginning with flood control, a top priority for Jones. Although the state is poised to pour billions of tax dollars into shoring up Central Valley levees, Jones says the region will have to raise taxes within the next few years to pay its share.

"How in the world are we going to go back to the voters and convince them to assess themselves for flood control if they've just been told that this sales tax increase is going to solve all their problems and provide money to address all these public needs?" he asks.

• A top-down deal. Jones says local leaders should have gone to the community and started a conversation about all the needs of the region and the best way to pay for them. Instead, they went to a Las Vegas casino and cut a deal in private with the Maloofs, and then presented it as an all-or-nothing proposition.

All of these are solid arguments. But the one topic the outspoken Jones does not want to address directly is what will happen with the team if the voters defeat the tax. Would the community be better off without the Kings than with an arena built through a bad deal negotiated with a gun to our heads?

"The Kings are going to make their own decision," he says. "It's their decision. So far they have said, 'We love this community, we want to stay in this community, we have an economic interest in this community.' They have never threatened to leave."

That's disingenuous. Despite this deal's many flaws, it's the only deal now on the table. Either accept it or be prepared for life without the NBA.

As Jones says, the game is rigged. He is taking a political risk in leading the opposition. But he shouldn't be coy about the consequences of his campaign.

A Yes vote on Measures Q and R keeps the team in town with a huge public subsidy. A No vote tells them to start looking elsewhere.

[TowerDistrict]

i propose a levee on his lip to stop the flood of disinformation.

[sugit]

All of these are solid arguments. But the one topic the outspoken Jones does not want to address directly is what will happen with the team if the voters defeat the tax. Would the community be better off without the Kings than with an arena built through a bad deal negotiated with a gun to our heads?

The Kings are going to make their own decision," he says. "It's their decision. So far they have said, 'We love this community, we want to stay in this community, we have an economic interest in this community.' They have never threatened to leave."

That's disingenuous. Despite this deal's many flaws, it's the only deal now on the table. Either accept it or be prepared for life without the NBA.

He wouldn't say anything becuase he knows it would swing the vote.

I'm glad Weintraub called him out for being disingenuous as well.

[urban_encounter]

i propose a levee on his lip to stop the flood of disinformation.


When i was in Sacramento a couple of weeks ago i ran into Assemblyman Jones and managed to stop him and chat for a couple of minutes. I told him directly, that i didn't appreciate his misrepresentation of the facts and also told him that 23 million Californians depend upon the structural integrity of the levees for drinking water. In a nut shell it was unfair for the state and federal government to expect Sacramento to shoulder the cost unfairly when it was because of their neglect that the levees system is in the pitiful shape that they're in. I also shared with him that in order to pay for the important social services that people want and expect, Sacramento has to find creative ways to raise tax and sales revenue to fill city tax coffers.

He was very polite and we ended our conversation by my telling him i hoped the Quality of Life meaure passes and the anti arena effort he's leading failed.

[Schmoe]

:righton: Urban is my hero. :righton:

[urban_encounter]

:righton: Urban is my hero. :righton:


:haha:


Now if the Quality of Life measure can get passed, we can all have the last laugh.


Here's hoping against the odds.

[ltsmotorsport]

You are the man Jim. I hope you made clear too that it just isn't you who feels this way, it's a large group of people.

[urban_encounter]

You are the man Jim. I hope you made clear too that it just isn't you who feels this way, it's a large group of people.


I think the crowd at the Board of Supervisors meeting made that point loud and clear to him...

[enigma99a]

Here is some new arena material:

http://www.metrochamber.org/sharethevision/

http://www.ceo.saccounty.net/pio/information/Quality-of-Life-Measure.html

[Jay916]

Here is some new arena material:

http://www.metrochamber.org/sharethevision/

http://www.ceo.saccounty.net/pio/information/Quality-of-Life-Measure.html


Thanks but i wanna see some new renderings soon:slob:

[econgrad]

Any new polls on measures Q and R?

[friedpez]

^ Last I heard it was 41% in favor. That's a 6% increase over what we had a month ago, 35%, and it's not bad (considering there hasn't been a formal campaign for/against it).

[sugit]

If anyone is interested....this should be a hell of a party. I imagine the media coverage will be huge

http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/1599/thearena1lz1.png

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/1792/thearenaby4.png

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/4066/untitledon7.png

[innov8]

Bob Shallit: Kings-arena supporters paint billboard visions
By Bob Shallit -- Bee Columnist
Published 12:01 am PDT Wednesday, August 30, 2006

http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/3186/300309billboardst5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The railyard area just north of downtown is home to swarms of people and a new sports arena in local artist Sean Greenfield's rendering. The artistic vision will be seen on local billboards next week.
Yes on Q & R

Call this the opening shot in what's sure to be a pricey ad campaign this fall by new-arena supporters of the November ballot measure to hike Sacramento County's sales tax.
Going up next week near Sacramento's Land Park and Curtis Park are two billboards showing people flocking to a new sports facility in a glitzy, fully developed railyard north of downtown.

"It's a vision of what Sacramento can become," says Doug Elmets, one of the marketing experts hired by the Yes on Q & R backers, which include the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

The rendering by local artist Sean Greenfield shows restaurants, condos, office towers and a stylized arena -- with swarms of people enjoying downtown nightlife, part of what promoters envision for the area within the next decade. Premiering the "pro" side's campaign slogan, the billboard will be topped by the words "Renew, Rebuild, Revitalize."
Another 13 identical billboards could go up across town in the next few weeks, Elmets says, followed by direct mail and advertising from the Yes on Q & R team. Its focus clearly is on railyard revitalization.

But for those of us who think a new arena (and keeping an NBA franchise) is vital to Sacramento's continuing emergence as a big-league entertainment center and business launching pad, the hope is that future ads have a sharper bite.

Showing the possibilities for a vibrant, new downtown neighborhood is nice. But the billboard we want to see is one showing the certain consequence of a "no" vote in November: a big Sacramento Kings moving van quickly leaving town.

[ltsmotorsport]

Haha; that last sentance is great, and probably what the county needs to wake up a realize the truth.

[urban_encounter]

Is it just me or is the Bee starting to come around, in regards to the consequences of a no vote for Sacramento???

[foxmtbr]

That's great news! I'll watch for a postcard or letter in my mailbox. ;)

[econgrad]

I am glad about the billboards, but I hope they will do more. I have run into too many people opposed to measures Q and R because they are so mis-informed!

[sugit]

Awesome...

Protestors somehow miss $1.1 billion airport expansion

According to the Bee, Sacramento County signed off on a new terminal design as part of a $1.1 billion dollar airport expansion. Where are all the people insisting that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the existing terminal and DEMANDING that the billionaire airlines build their own terminal? After all, why should we spend public money to support these billionaire airline moguls? Just sayin'...

http://arrangingmatches.typepad.com/

[TowerDistrict]

i love the comparison. :)

[Sacdelicious]

Awesome...

Protestors somehow miss $1.1 billion airport expansion

According to the Bee, Sacramento County signed off on a new terminal design as part of a $1.1 billion dollar airport expansion. Where are all the people insisting that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the existing terminal and DEMANDING that the billionaire airlines build their own terminal? After all, why should we spend public money to support these billionaire airline moguls? Just sayin'...

http://arrangingmatches.typepad.com/


Actually, the airport is self-funded (as in they don't get any money from the public), and the expansion is being funded by fees levied against airlines. Thus, the billionaire airlines are sort of building their own terminal.

[TowerDistrict]

The construction will be funded by fees paid by airlines and federal grants.

federal money is definitely public money, as my paycheck would indicate. :P

[Sacdelicious]

If I recall correctly, the federal money is only for moving the tower....the actual expansion is private money. I could be wrong...and would appreciate if someone could dig up and find the answer to it.

News10 reported this a while ago:

The new terminal is part of a proposed $1.1 billion expansion of the airport. Supervisors would like to see it finished by 2011. Financing would come from a variety of sources, including airlines, parking and car-rental fees and food and retail sales at the airport.


Maybe something has since changed and they got a federal grant or two.

[neuhickman79]

What's with the SPOA? I'm a little nervous about this. I guess everybody wants their piece of the pie. But, what they fail to realize is that without the Arena Tax there will be no pie to share and no Kings either!

[Trojan]

a SMUD Takeover brochure came in the mail today.. maybe the Pro-Arena campaign can do the same for the November vote, so people are informed and can make the right decision to vote yes for the sales tax.

[foxmtbr]

^ I got that too, and then I thought the exact same thing. Weird... ;)

[TowerDistrict]

I don't know what to make of this... but anyway you take it, it's not good for Q and R's chances...


Kings Owner Drops Bombshell at Railyards News Conference

Redevelopment of Sacramento's downtown railyards is a major selling point in the campaign to raise the local sales tax. But Kings owner Joe Maloof is preparing voters for another possibility.

At a news conference kicking off the campaign for Measures Q and R, a series of speakers spoke of the importance of a new arena to the railyards development. Proponents say a downtown arena would spur more than $5 billion in new development. Measure R would raise the county's sales tax by a quarter-percent. Measure Q would ask voters to endorse a new arena, presumably in the railyards.

But when Joe Maloof took to the podium, he suggested the possibility that the arena could be built elsewhere even if the sales tax measures are adopted.

Reading from a prepared statement, Maloof seemed to be indicating the negotiations to build in the railyards are not going well.

"We share the vision that everyone here has. The future would be fantastic to have a new arena downtown to revitalize the railyards. But it isn't going to be easy. The site has been vacant for decades because it's such a difficult site to develop. There are a lot of moving parts: The railroad, the developer, the cleanup, and all the work the city and county have got to get done. We believe it can happen, we believe an arena can help make it happen, but we want to make sure the people are aware that we will do our best. If for some reason it can't happen at this site, we may have to consider alternative locations in Sacramento. And we will do that. Our commitment will always be the same: To give our fans the best experience, and to give Sacramento our best effort. Thank you."

Maloof left the news conference quickly after his statement. Others were clearly stunned by what he said.

Although the agreement between the Kings and the city and county of Sacramento drafted August 2 allows the possibility the arena could be built elsewhere, it is widely seen as a "worst case" scenario.

Insiders speculate Maloof may be sending a thinly veiled message to the developer of the railyards to improve the negotiating position. But all those connected with the campaign told News10 privately they were very disappointed over the timing and tone of the remarks.

[Schmoe]

I don't see how this is a big deal or a surprise. It's the same that's been said all along. In fact, it's what we all should want.

If the Railyards becomes a sticky deal that is dragged out over years and years of bickering and possibly legal action, I'd rather have the new arena built somewhere else than not built at all.

[Jay916]

I believe this is a new rendering of the arena/railyards from today's bee:
http://www.sacbee.com/media/2006/09/06/23/KG_3_.embedded.jpg


http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/19274.html#more_images

Game's on in arena PR battle
Two sides unveil their leaders in dueling press events
By Mary Lynne Vellinga - Bee Staff Writer

Proponents and opponents of the plan to build a new arena for the Kings staged dueling news conferences Wednesday to announce the leaders of their respective campaigns.

The events starkly illustrated the contrasting nature of the two efforts. Much of the business and political establishment of Sacramento lined up behind the arena plan Wednesday during a press conference near its proposed location in the old railyard just north of downtown.

Meanwhile, the grass-roots group opposing the proposed quarter-cent increase in the sales tax rolled out endorsements from school board members and two former members of the Sacramento City Council and Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.
UCDavis Health

"Theirs is a vision of the past; ours is a vision of the future," declared Doug Elmets, a spokesman for the Yes on Q and R campaign.

Opponents of Measures Q and R disagree with his assessment but acknowledge they are outgunned.

"We don't have a $5 million bankroll from the Maloofs; this is strictly a grass-roots campaign," said Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn, one of the opposition leaders.

Elmets said he had no idea where Cohn got the $5 million figure. The Maloofs have made no such commitment, he said, and fundraising is just getting started.

Contacted by phone later, Cohn said he really has no idea what the Maloofs will spend, but just meant to suggest that the proponents will likely have plenty of money at their disposal, while the opposition campaign will be run mostly by volunteers.

"They do have an all-star consultant team," he noted. "These people don't come cheap."

Wednesday's public relations push began with a morning press conference in the railyard attended by local officials and business leaders, including Kings owner Joe Maloof.

Former Sacramento County Supervisor Sandy Smoley was officially designated the campaign chairwoman.

Her co-chairs will include Matt Mahood, president and chief executive officer of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce; Pat Fong-Kushida, president and chief executive officer of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce; downtown developer David Taylor; and Joe and Gavin Maloof, among others.

Giant red, white and blue balloons were tethered to the cracked concrete of the dilapidated former industrial hub to provide a festive backdrop, and reporters received slick press packets.

The speakers were cheered by a crowd of about 100 people, many of them employees of Maloof Sports and Entertainment, which operates the Kings and Monarchs.

Smoley said the new quarter- cent sales tax, predicted to raise $1.2 billion over 15 years, would provide "an amazing array of benefits" to Sacramento County communities. About half the money would be slated for a new arena. The other half would go back to Sacramento County and its cities.

Following Smoley to the lectern, Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo said arena proponents should stress the ways in which communities could benefit from this money, potentially spending it to improve schools, or beef up law enforcement, for example.

"People need to recognize what they're going to get out of this if they vote for it," she said.

While Fargo and several other speakers praised the arena plan as a potential catalyst for development of the railyard, Joe Maloof said his family would look for other locations in Sacramento if the downtown site proves too difficult to prepare in time.

"This site has been vacant for decades because it's such a difficult site to develop," Maloof said. "There are a lot of moving pieces."

Two hours later, seven arena opponents, led by Cohn, assembled in front of the doors to the historic Sacramento City Hall. Aside from the television cameras and reporters, there were few others in attendance, other than Elmets, who had come to watch and offer counter-spin to reporters.

Cohn was joined by two members of the Sacramento City Unified School District board, Manny Hernandez and Jerry Houseman, along with Sacramento Municipal Utility District board member Larry Carr, who lost a recent bid for a county supervisor seat.

Others in attendance included Grantland Johnson, a lobbyist with the Sacramento Central Labor Council who was a county supervisor from 1986-1993, and Lynn Robie, a city councilwoman from 1979-1992.

They said Sacramento County needs to spend more on schools, crime prevention, flood protection and social services -- not a sports arena.

Opponents also criticized the deal crafted by city and county negotiators as overly generous to the Maloofs, with the public shouldering the entire cost of construction, estimated at $470 million to $542 million. The Maloofs have agreed to contribute $20 million to a fund for capital repairs or other uses and and to pay an average of $4 million in rent for 30 years.

"They should negotiate a better deal that reflects a true public-private partnership," Johnson said. "We have to get more than psychic rewards."

Cohn seized on Maloof's remark about putting the arena somewhere other than the railyard.

"One of the main points proponents have made is that this will really help downtown development," Cohn said. "Unless they can guarantee the arena will go in the railyard, which is not guaranteed, it's hard to make that argument."

[Schmoe]

Man, that rendering looks Sah-WEET!

[ltsmotorsport]

Others in attendance included Grantland Johnson, a lobbyist with the Sacramento Central Labor Council who was a county supervisor from 1986-1993, and Lynn Robie, a city councilwoman from 1979-1992.

No surprise that these people from the past are opposing this effort. This isn't 1988, the city has changed already. Get used to it!

What really needs to be expressed is that they aren't asking for .25%, but .0025%; that really is a huge difference. And the argument that the money could be better spent; well there will be about $700 million to spend on any number of things throughout the county AFTER the arena money. These opponents really have no strong argument.

[SacTownKing916]

I am trying to to convince everyone that i know to vote yes on this. And I want a new arena to happen but I have to say I wouldnt want it anywhere else but the railyards.

[joninsac]

I cringe and get a knot in my stomach every time one of the Maloofs speaks in public. Neither one of these guys should be anywhere near a microphone or tv camera when it comes to the arena issue. It's going to be hard enough convincing voters that this issue isn't about rich people getting richer and we don't need one of the Maloofs rocking the boat.

[brandon12]

^you're right. but where did it all go wrong for them? A few years ago, they had the keys to the city, now so many people don't like them. I don't think they've ever done anything wrong. They've never said they were going to move the team. All they've said is that a new arena is needed sooner rather than later. And as far as I'm concerned, that's a plain fact. So what have they done except point out the obvious. They're generally seen as being in the upper echelon of pro sports team owners around the country. Why the animosity?
Now that I think about it, I think I know why: Sacramento is full of a bunch of small-minded people who are VERY susceptable to class warfare psychology. In Sacramento, rich people are seen as the enemy more so than in other cities in America. That's too bad, because without rich people, there's not much opportunity for regular joes. Not you Schmoe, I mean regular joes...

[Schmoe]

Brandon has just discovered why we have no Fortune 500's here.

[joninsac]

Now that I think about it, I think I know why: Sacramento is full of a bunch of small-minded people who are VERY susceptable to class warfare psychology.

I agree with you 100000000% on that, Brandon. I suppose it would make more sense if Sacramento was some Berkley-esque oasis for leftists, but Sacramento is about as average as average gets.

[innov8]

I'm now really starting feel how passionate of an issue
this is... some people I have spoken to have gotten really
huffy about it. Most people I know who are against it have
been in the age of 60+. The younger they are to me, the
most likely they see this as a place they can enjoy for
many years to come.

I try to reframe from reading the comments now days in
the Bee when an arena article is published because they
always tend to favor the anti-crowd. I have tried many times
to post comments there and they only post maybe half of my
comments while many of the anti bunch get to post rebuttal
after rebuttal while I only get one shot.

er, end of rant.

[ltsmotorsport]

Thank you Bee, for all that fair representation of your readers. :rolleyes:

[foxmtbr]

I have tried many times
to post comments there and they only post maybe half of my
comments while many of the anti bunch get to post rebuttal
after rebuttal while I only get one shot.

er, end of rant.
That's what happens to me too, they never post all my comments.

[econgrad]

^you're right. but where did it all go wrong for them? A few years ago, they had the keys to the city, now so many people don't like them. I don't think they've ever done anything wrong. They've never said they were going to move the team. All they've said is that a new arena is needed sooner rather than later. And as far as I'm concerned, that's a plain fact. So what have they done except point out the obvious. They're generally seen as being in the upper echelon of pro sports team owners around the country. Why the animosity?
Now that I think about it, I think I know why: Sacramento is full of a bunch of small-minded people who are VERY susceptable to class warfare psychology. In Sacramento, rich people are seen as the enemy more so than in other cities in America. That's too bad, because without rich people, there's not much opportunity for regular joes. Not you Schmoe, I mean regular joes...

This is so true I just had to re-quote this. Thanks Brandon12 :cheers: :tup:

[TowerDistrict]

That's what happens to me too, they never post all my comments.

me too. but to be fair to the Bee - all my comments are malicious, personal attacks on the shite for brained arseholes that continuously bash downtown with dreamt up information and arguments. :hell:

[Fusey]

I was doing some research on the proposed new arena today and noticed something kind of funny. I googled 'Sacramento New Arena' and the first result was SSP. heh

There were also a couple of new articles in The Bee (including a horrible oped piece by Dave Jones), but I couldn't find them online.

[Los_Lobo]

Leaders will push ballot measure with or without the Kings
By Mary Lynne Vellinga - Bee Staff Writer

Last Updated 3:33 pm PDT Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Discussions between the city and county of Sacramento and the Kings owners over the terms of building an new arena in the downtown Sacramento railyard have stalled.

The pro-arena forces were left Wednesday with the very real possibility that they may be campaigning for a new sales tax to build an arena in the railyard without the Maloofs, owners of the local NBA franchise, on board.

"We still consider them part of our team, but it is our arena, and we will decide where it goes, and the public has said loud and clear that the best place for the arena is in the railyard," said Assistant City Manager John Dangberg, who has represented the city in talks with the team.

County and city staff members had committed to producing a memorandum of understanding with detailed deal terms by Oct. 6. But even if that document never materializes, the ballot measure to raise the sales tax by a quarter cent remains on the November ballot, Dangberg said. So does a companion advisory measure asking voters if they want to spend about half the $1.2 billion in new taxes on an arena and the other half on community projects.

Disputes with the Maloofs have centered on parking, the amount of land that will be set aside for the arena, and uses immediately surrounding it, said those involved in the negotiations.

Joe Maloof said Wednesday he supports the idea of putting a new arena in the railyard, but won't go along with it if it means it will put "the franchise in jeopardy."

[Trojan]

Good. Any other NBA team would come here in an instant with a new arena downtown.

[joninsac]

According to KHTK, some of the sticking points are the size of the parcel to be set aside for the arena, the amount of parking and the amount of retail connected with the arena.

[ltsmotorsport]

What's the problem? Have about a 3,000 space garage, and set enough land aside for the arena and as much retail as possible.

[joninsac]

My totally uneducated guess is that the Maloofs, getting 100% of the revenue from parking and arena-connected retail, want as many parking spaces and retail venues as possible. Perhaps they want so much space that it's starting to affect plans for other parts of the railyards. Just a guess. Anyway, they have until October 6 to get a memorandum of understanding hammered out.

[POGO]

Well, it looks like the 2 Mr. Magoos and our esteemed city leadership f****d up the chances of those ballot measures passing. Sorry Mr. Elmets, but you don't stand a chance now.

[innov8]

The headline on the Bee said it all this morning... this deal is dead with the
Maloof pulling this stunt :goodnight: ... and the pro arena crowd thought they had a hard sell before. :dead:

[SacTownAndy]

I think the article in the Bee this morning pretty much doomed any chances of these measures passing. These people (the Maloofs, the City, etc) have NO public speaking or public relations skills whatsoever. This is really a shame. Unless something dramatic happens in the next month and a half, I'm affraid come November, Sacramento will once again be taking 10 huge steps back. Welcome to the 1970's again Sacramento, you sure have come a long way. I'm not trying to sound like a naysayer, but after I finish working on my Masters here in Denver, I was initally planning on moving back to Sac. Honestly, at this point, in thinking about it, there are absolutely no drawing factors (aside from my family) that would compel me to want to move back after living here in a city that can actually offer me countless real ammenities and can actually get things done (especially if the Kings leave and there isn't even ONE arena near the city). As a hometown boy and a person who loves the Big Tomato, it's very frustrating to see what the city could be and then watch it turn into what it's becoming.


Dangberg said the Maloofs wanted to eliminate the housing, hotels and retail planned for the railyard's 20-acre sports and entertainment district and fill it with "an arena and parking garages and nothing else."

But the city is seeking to create a walkable entertainment district where people arrive by means other than cars. "We don't want to take Arco Arena and replicate it downtown," Dangberg said.

Maloof said his family supports putting an arena in the railyard, but won't locate in a place that "puts the franchise in jeopardy."

"Why would we move to a different area if it hurts our revenue," Maloof said.

If that's really the case, then screw 'em, let them walk. The railyards are a one shot chance at turning Sacramento around the corner in terms of urbanity and even I wouldn't risk that just to get a new Arena.

[Majin]

If thats how the Maloof's feel, at this point I would put the blame solely on the Maloof's and not the city. I too would not support a huge parcel of land dedicated to only an arena and massive parking.

SacTownAndy, both the Maloofs and the city is to blame for taking this long, but it seems like at this point is city is trying to do the right thing and the Maloof's are the only ones to blame for trying to put their profits over the good of the city (massive parking vs urban pedestrian friendly environment).

I don't really see a solution here, especially before the vote in November. So I would also say this is likely not to pass. It's really sad, could of turned into something big, but in the most likely senario the railyards will look exactly the same as they do now in the next 15-20 years.

Not sure what we can do from here. Is Sacramento doomed forever?

[TowerDistrict]

I really don't think this arena deal is a measure of what Sacramento can and can't do. The deal was convoluted from the get go, and the Maloofs have never been supportive.

I still see Sacramento doing great things in the urban core. I see a city trying to pull itself from the arrested development it's long suffered from. These are trying times where Sacramento is not only trying to rebuild the city - but its entire management, planning and development processes.

Sure this stuff is easier in more established urban cities - but what is fun without a challenge?

I'm sure, once upon a time, Denver had to go through similar growing pains.

[Majin]

At this point I'm not even sure if I like the Maloofs anymore. Is it just me or are they TRYING to turn Sacramento into the biggest suburb in the world?

Even though they say they want massive parking and no residents/hotel/retail near the arena, I bet once they move the Kings to Las Vegas they WILL build an area with lots of residential/hotel/retail around it and not complain one bit.

What a bunch of hypocrites.

[Majin]

I half-heartedly wish the Maloofs would move the Kings to LA just because of how dumb it would make the NBA look.

[joninsac]

From channel 3's story about the arena -
The head of Maloof Sports and Entertainment, John Thomas, downplayed the internal differences, and said it was just a question of working out the details of the deal announced earlier this summer.

I still think it can get done, but there has only been bad news or no news about the arena since the deal was struck. The more ominous news there is, the harder it will be to pass Q & R, as if it weren't hard enough already.

[TowerDistrict]

Vegas is an urban hell-hole. If you've ever walked down the strip and enjoyed yourself, you're an absolute massocist. The city blocks are the size of Sacramento's central business district. The hotels are spaced half a mile apart from each other. The only thing that connects those atrocious structures together is the labrynth of slot machines and buffets. The main streets are about 6 lanes on each side, and if you stopped to help an old woman peel herself from the 160 degree asphalt, you would be mauled by thousands of cars roaring down the road.

But maybe that's how the Maloofs roll? I couldn't care less either, and I'm glad the city put its foot down - even if it is at the expense of Measure Q's success.

[econgrad]

First of all, Maloof Sports and Ent. is a private company. Their only concern is maximizing profits. The development of DT Sacramento, urban renewal, nightlife of DT Sac, and other issues like these are not their concern at all nor should they be. They are owners of an NBA basketball team to make the most money possible from their investment. If the railyard arena plan shows to them that it puts maximizing profit at risk, then they have all the right in the world to walk away. Quit being angry at them for being good business men.

[sugit]

WOW....this is really bad. The anti arena people are going to eat this up. If the Maloofs will only sign off on a deal that dooms the rest of the Railyards, I can't go for that.

I won't vote for a deal like that. Put it in Natomas if that is the case. I think that is where the Maloofs want it anyways. I'd take the vision of the railyards over another suburban arena that is just 5 miles closer to downtown.

Now the questions? Do they work out a last minute deal (again) for something in Natomas to keep the Kings?

OR

Screw the Kings and build an arena in the Railyards according to the plan we want?

The problem with #2 is there is no one major tennat and the city would be stuck with the operating costs where in #1 the Maloofs would. PLUS, we have no pro team. (Rivercats asde) Also, I don't think Millennia would agree to drop all the housing and stuff. I think the Railyards is dead.

[Sactorleans]

Yeah, the Ma-Goofs have turned me against them ....again. How can they say with a straight face - don't put any retail competition near the arena!?

How many parking spaces do they want and how many is the City offering?

I would still vote for the arena, build it in the railyards, and if the Kings don't like it - let them leave town. The City could spend the next 3-5 years petitioning for a new basketball or hockey team while the railyards get built out. In the meantime, I can catch a Jimmy Buffett concert instead of driving all the way to San Jose!!!

[sugit]

In the meantime, I can catch a Jimmy Buffett concert instead of driving all the way to San Jose!!!

That the part that really scares me. Losing everything else that comes with an arena, not just the Kings.

I think I would still take a arena in Natomas and keep the Railyard plan in place, instead of an arena in the Railyards and losing the plan Millennia has.

[TowerDistrict]

First of all, Maloof Sports and Ent. is a private company. Their only concern is maximizing profits. The development of DT Sacramento, urban renewal, nightlife of DT Sac, and other issues like these are not their concern at all nor should they be. They are owners of an NBA basketball team to make the most money possible from their investment. If the railyard arena plan shows to them that it puts maximizing profit at risk, then they have all the right in the world to walk away. Quit being angry at them for being good business men.


Let's see these good business men come up with a better deal in another city.

This city has gone far enough to please them. The Railyards project is a much bigger deal than finding the Kings a home. I wouldn't accept any arena design than compromised what Thomas Enterprise had planned for the sole benefit of MSE.

so yes.. the question begs... now what to do with Measure Q?

[sugit]

I still vote Yes for the tax increase, that money can still go toward a lot of good stuff for Sacramento.

[neuhickman79]

I'd still vote Yes! But, I think the Maloofs are idiots to think that Sacramento is going to want them in town any longer after this fiasco. They are digging their own grave as far as I'm concerned and could potentially lose the profits of the city with the most consecutive NBA sellout games in history if they're not careful!

[TowerDistrict]

I still vote Yes for the tax increase, that money can still go toward a lot of good stuff for Sacramento.


without a doubt.

[innov8]

If only the magic of John Saca could intervene and make this mess better.

[Los_Lobo]

I just received this email:

Yes on Q & R Supporters:
As you may have read in the Sacramento Bee today, Maloof Sports and Entertainment has decided it will no longer participate in talks with the City of Sacramento and Sacramento County in finalizing the details of a new sports and entertainment facility –– which will be an integral part of the revitalization of the old Sacramento rail yard.

While we are disappointed with their decision, it does not change our determination to pass Measures Q & R –– so we can renew, rebuild and revitalize Sacramento County.

We respect the Maloofs and applaud their many contributions to this community, but this isn't their decision, nor is it their arena. The community has decided that the best place for its new arena is at the old Sacramento rail yards — and we have no doubt that this is where it will be. We'll move mountains to make it happen.

Over the next seven weeks we will wage an aggressive campaign that will include door-to-door grass roots campaigning, radio, direct mail and television advertising.

We will share our vision of a revitalized city center where the old rail yard now stands –– alive again with 240 acres of new shops, restaurants, condos and hotels. Home to a new community-owned arena entertaining audiences of two million people annually, and a new 21st Century transportation hub serving the entire region.

This project will provide new revenue for renewal which will be shared by every community in Sacramento County for parks and roads, schools, public safety and other improvements –– all decided locally.

That vision becomes real with Measures Q & R. And together we can make it happen.

Sandy Smoley
Chair, Yes on Q &R Campaign

For more information go to www.ShareTheVisionSacramento.com.

[urban_encounter]

Yeah, the Ma-Goofs have turned me against them ....again. How can they say with a straight face - don't put any retail competition near the arena!?


I'm starting to suspect that the Maloofs are hoping that this project get's turned down by the voters because of alterior motives and perhaps a standing offer from Anaheim or a secret deall from Vegas. Either than or they've lost their minds. If this didn't sour voters before they pretty much shot themselves and any chances of this passing in the foot.


Honestly i didn't think this thing was going to pass anyway. Sacramento's best chance of building a new arena (and/or) ballpark is for the Kings to leave. Nothing slaps a communtiy in the face quite like losing a sport team (and especially a one horse town like Sacramento.)

Sacramento wont likely find owners as committed to winning like the Maloofs, but why would anyone in Sacramento want to support a tream that doesn't seem interested in remaining there???

Although all things considered I don't think Sacramento has to have a sprots team to be a desirable city. But it does need to get behind something (either the perfroming arts, sports or a vibrant downtown) and stick to it...
Austin is a wonderful city and doesn'gt need professional sports to be cosmopolitan (albeit on a smaller scale). Still Austin has one of the best (of not the best) night life in the state of Texas.

The frustration however is simply that so many proposals in Sacramento just continue to get talked about and never become reality... Like Andy in Denver, I have to say that seeing how Chicago get's things done only convinces me what a bunch of small town thinkers there are in Sacramento on the city council and board of supervisors. (save for Roger Dickinson on the Board of Supervisors)... The problem is only made worse by a band of people who constantly resist improving the city for fear of Sacramento transforming into what it should have been twenty years ago.. (think Portland)... So many people want Sacramento to be the Sacramento of the 1960's and 70s... The only problem is that it's not... Well the entertainment options haven't improved much but the city has grown....


I will still cast my (absentee) vote in favor of the Quality of Life Measure, (should it be put on the ballot). This issue isn't about the Maloofs, but about improving Sacramento. The Kings are only part of this.

But for the record I have to agree with Majin that this time this isn't the city's fault. I don't blame them for resisting the Maoofs on trying to create what sounds like would be a dead zone near the arena...

[urban_encounter]

I can catch a Jimmy Buffett concert instead of driving all the way to San Jose!!!

Stockton and Fresno are alternative options....

[foxmtbr]

The Maloofs just shot themselves in the head. I'd still vote yes though. (If I could.)

[TowerDistrict]

The problem is only made worse by a band of people who constantly resist improving the city for fear of Sacramento transforming into what it should have been twenty years ago.. (think Portland)


What pisses me off most about this Arena proposal, is that I think Sacramento has been doing all the right things concerning urban development lately. There is such a great mometum going, and with the city managers in place, it could only get better.

But you throw in this long-shot arena deal, mix in a sports team, divide the council politically, and stir up every resident in the metro area - and you get everyone retreating back to their previous opinions of Sacramento's potential.

Though i was always for a new arena, I wish this proposal came about 3 years later. I would hate for downtown Sacramento to be forgetten about....

again.

[Fusey]

If the Maloofs keep playing games like this let them move the Kings to Anaheim. I'm sick of it.

[innov8]

I sent an email to John Thomas (President of Kings Operations) and this was my response:

Subject: RE: You guys might as well leave...

Dear Michael,

Thank you very much for taking time to write me with your concerns. It’s very unfortunate that so much misinformation has come out in our community over the past week. We are still supportive of the railyards site for a new sports & entertainment facility surrounded by a variety of exciting new development. But if you were signing a 30-year mortgage for a house in an open field, wouldn’t you want some say in knowing what was going to be next to your front door?

We successfully negotiated for months of very hard work with the city and county to reach agreement on the amount of land and parking arrangements needed to make a new downtown arena work for the next 30 years. We’re surprised and disappointed that the developer, who we have never met and who has not closed escrow on the railyards land, has been allowed to force the city and county to set aside our agreement and attempt to renegotiate it. We’re not going to renegotiate what we have already agreed upon. We expect our partners, the city and county, to make it clear to the developer that they expect him to honor our arena agreement.

The Maloof family are the only ones involved in this process who have to live with the outcome for 30 years – the developer will make his money in the first few years and leave; the government officials will all be retired and gone; the reporters will all be retired and gone. The Maloof family will still be here. So we need to apply much longer term thinking to what gets built, what the deal terms are and what a bad deal will mean to us for the rest of our lives – 15, 20 and 25 years from now, when the economy goes bad, the impacts of shoddy development around the arena are felt, the infrastructure proves inadequate, it will be our business that is affected, not the developer’s.

We still believe in the vision that Q & R represent for the future of our community. And we believe we can work this out quickly if the city and county can get the developer to honor our agreement. Thanks again for your input,

John Thomas

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Michael Zwahlen [mailto:mz1613@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 2:44 PM
To: Sacramento Kings; John Thomas
Subject: You guys might as well leave...

Dear Kings Org.

I have loved the Kings as long as they have been here in the community but the latest statement by the Maloof has changed my attitude. A new arena would be built on the public tax dollars but that's not good enough for you. Now at this late stage you also want to change the design of the rail yards project not to better the community but for you own needs. That rail yards will be a premier entrainment district and you want all retail far away from the arena so it would create a giant dead zone when no events are happening at the arena.

Your demands are weak at best... I was a big supporter of the deal but I won't be any more. It's now becoming obvious the Maloofs want to move the team to another city, their actions have now killed any public support for the project.

Michael Zwahlen

[buckfmsac]

If the Maloofs keep playing games like this let them move the Kings to Anaheim. I'm sick of it.
I agree. screw the maloof's, let them move!

[Trojan]

Well now they don't have to even say the word "Maloof" in their campaign for Q & R.. They can focus on the tax being "better for Sacramento"..

[joninsac]

We’re surprised and disappointed that the developer, who we have never met and who has not closed escrow on the railyards land, has been allowed to force the city and county to set aside our agreement and attempt to renegotiate it.

This is what was being discussed on KHTK a little while ago. It seems the dispute doesn't involve the Maloofs and the city/county, but rather the Maloofs and Thomas Enterprises. Sounds like Thomas decided to redesign some parts of the railyards that affect the arena site after the arena deal was reached.

[TowerDistrict]

regardless of whose "fault" it was. The Maloofs burried this deal today. Maybe in their next city they'll learn that throwing tantrums won't seal $500 million, publically funded deals.

[urban_encounter]

I don't think there's any doubt that the Maloofs killed the deal in attempt to blame the city/county and relocate the team. But lets face it, Sacramento sat on it's tail for nearly 7 years and should have already had the arena under construction by now.

While the Maloofs are certainly to blame, the people of Sacramento are also to blame for not getting behind the idea much much sooner... Call it ignorance or denial. If the region wants a team then it's going to have get a grip on reality. NO team is going to relocate to Sacramento (a small market) and build the city an arena to house their team. Sacramento was a rare exception in that it got it's first arena (and team) without a city or county financial contribution. It wont get either in the same manner again.

[SacTownAndy]

... Like Andy in Denver, I have to say that seeing how Chicago get's things done only convinces me what a bunch of small town thinkers there are in Sacramento on the city council and board of supervisors. (save for Roger Dickinson on the Board of Supervisors)... The problem is only made worse by a band of people who constantly resist improving the city for fear of Sacramento transforming into what it should have been twenty years ago..

That's pretty much what I was trying to get across earlier but couldn't seem to find the right words. I think it may have something to do with being outside of the box now (Sacramento), but the way I now look at the city and it's leadership has changed. In my honest opinion, after living someplace else for a while now, I think Sacramento's biggest roadblock is the way people view the community as a whole. I know I keep bringing up Denver but that's just because I'm familiar with with it now- it seems here that the general populace holds high regard for the city and the general good of the entire region- placing a HUGE emphasis on things like culture, mass transit, livability, entertainment, ammenities (even when it doesn't impact you directly) that are shared by everyone. The civic pride here just blows my mind. Whereas in Sacramento it seems like most people are only concerned with what happens in their 18x20 foot backyard and that's about it (save you guys who are here who actually care about the things we talk about). Now that I've seen first hand the many benefits of the community coming together as a whole and have seen the things "we" can actually accomplish, it's just mind boggling that a community would not aspire to achieve this (or I think in Sacramento's case, does not realize this). I think there's a handful of people in Sacramento that actually understand this, but the majority does not. And in my opinion, until the entire region understands that "we're all in this together", things like this whole arena debacle will continue to happen until Sacramento is nothing more than a suburb of San Francisco with no unique attributes setting it apart with it's own identity. Again, I know some of you will disagree with me, but that's just my two cents as someone who is now looking from the outside in. That's why I said before that it frustrates me so much that a city that I love so much cannot open it's eyes as a whole and realize the potential it truly has.

[sugit]

placing a HUGE emphasis on things like culture, mass transit, livability, entertainment, amenities (even when it doesn't impact you directly) that are shared by everyone. The civic pride here just blows my mind. Whereas in Sacramento it seems like most people are only concerned with what happens in their 18x20 foot backyard and that's about it

Well said Andy and Jim. A few things:

I haven’t lived elsewhere (other than Davis), but I have traveled to many places and have friends and family in many places, and I totally agree the attitudes toward their cities is very different than Sacramento. People in other cities actually really care about it as a whole.

I used to think it was an inferiority complex where people don't think they can actually have these things, but you would think a city like that would be itching to do large civic projects that benefit the city as a whole and “raise the level”..and I am not just refering to the arena, but all the other civic type projects. As you said, it’s really a bunch of small town attitudes from the older generation.

The level of philanthropy in Sacramento I think is pretty low compared to other cities, which ties to what Andy said above about people caring only about themselves. Buzz Oates in one of the wealthiest people in the US, but I have never heard of him given any significant amount of money to anything. I heard he gave like 2M a couple years ago for a women’s shelter or something like that and I remember there was a lot of talk in the media how Buzz hasn’t done much into terms of philanthropy given how much money he has made in Sacramento.

It’s not my place to tell him he has to give money, because he doesn’t have to, but in other cites people like this help their cities build museums, performing art venues, libraries, and the such. That shows a lack of civic pride to me. Only recently have I been hearing about people giving large amounts of money to things like the Crocker and Sutter. Hopefully it continues to change.

The other part is the big corporation thing. Corporations tend to give money to civic projects like this to “give back to the community”. As you all know we lack these. Wells Fargo helped get the Music Circus done, but I can’t think of anything else major civic wise that has been done by a company in Sacramento other than sponcering Lion King or something like that.

Man, I am starting to think we are screwed. Nevermind, I'm not quite jadded yet

[sugit]

What a cluster fuck this has become. Too many damn parties seem to be involved.

I'm getting to the point where I have no idea who the hell if to blame for all this, so I will blame everyone.

Proposal 'blindsided' Maloofs
Developer acknowledges arena plan left out key provisions.
By Terri Hardy and Mary Lynne Vellinga - Bee Staff Writers

Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof went public Thursday with an impassioned recounting of the ways in which they say they were betrayed last week in negotiations to put an arena in the downtown railyard.

In an emotional, 90-minute session with The Bee, the Maloofs defended their reputation against those in the community who say they just want to move the team. They also said they were "blindsided" by a plan for the railyard that they say shortchanged them on both land and parking.

Thursday night, the developer of the railyard said the Maloofs had a point

In a disastrous dinner meeting Sept. 5, a preliminary plan for the arena presented to the Maloofs failed to include several key provisions the brothers said they were counting on, said Suheil Totah, project manager for Thomas Enterprises, which is negotiating to buy the railyard from Union Pacific.

The Maloofs were enraged, saying they had already negotiated these points with the city and county, only to see them lopped off with the arena campaign already under way.

They announced Wednesday they were through talking until the city, county and developer came up with a plan that met their needs -- a statement that dealt a staggering blow to the campaign to pass a sales tax increase to pay for an arena.

"We were shaken; we had an agreement," Joe Maloof said, describing his reaction to the meeting with Thomas Enterprises. "We had talked for months and months. We were flabbergasted."

Totah acknowledged Thursday that the "plan did not reflect the deal" and said his firm would go back to the drawing board and redesign the planned sports and entertainment zone to address the Maloofs' concerns.

"There was a lot of miscommunication," Totah said. "We're committed to making this right, to move forward and resolve all the issues."

Atlanta-based Thomas Enterprises is scheduled to meet with the city and county of Sacramento today, along with the architecture firm Ellerbee Becket, which designed several arenas used as models by the Maloofs, including FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.

"We have the same goal: To make sure there's adequate room on that site to operate an arena," said county economic development chief Paul Hahn. "I guess the difference is we still think it can be done."

He said the Maloofs have been invited back to the table, but they "are not answering our calls."

Complicating the matter is the contention by Hahn and Sacramento Assistant City Manager John Dangberg that there was never any agreement to provide the Maloofs with revenue from 8,000 parking spaces, as the brothers assert. Nor was there a deal, they say, to prohibit competing restaurants from operating outside the arena's front door.

They say they have no problem with providing the 8.5 acres the Maloofs say they need for the arena, if that's what it takes.

Despite participating in months of volatile negotiations with the Maloof organization, Dangberg and Hahn said they viewed the Sept. 5 negotiating session as a casual exchange of ideas on a preliminary design by architect Jon Jerde, who is affiliated with the railyard project.

"What we had decided a week before in a teleconference was that Jerde's architect would put a drawing together to try to work out everybody's needs and see if it would fit on the site. Then we would get together and brainstorm," Hahn said.

"I never went into that meeting thinking it was the county's proposal, the city proposal or even Thomas Enterprises' proposal," he said.

But for the Maloofs, the rendering was a shocking deal breaker at the end of six years of attempts to come up with a workable plan to replace Arco Arena.

Tony Guanci, an Orange County developer who represented the Maloofs at the meeting, said the arena was elevated "on this pedestal with a bunch of stairs leading up to it," a design that allowed it to sit on just 4.5 acres of land, but which would cramp vital "back of the house" operations.

The Kings practice facility, meanwhile, was located in the seventh floor of the adjacent parking garage.

Guanci said the seven-story garage for VIP ticket holders would have taken an hour to exit.

Instead, Guanci said, the plan seemed designed to better accommodate a Bass Pro Shops outlet that Thomas has signed for the railyard than the arena.

Totah said his firm has a "signed letter of intent" with Bass Pro, and "they're important, too."

Gavin Maloof has a different vision of the sports and entertainment district. "We're the anchor tenant," he said. "Bass Pro is a junior tenant."

In a candid session inside their Arco Arena conference room, the Maloof brothers laid out their side of the story to Bee reporters.

Joe Maloof, dressed in a purple Kings jersey, was agitated, running his fingers through his hair, bolting out of his chair and at times nearly shouting.

Sporting his Monarchs WNBA championship ring, Gavin Maloof was insistent on debunking what he described as myths surrounding his family.

He said they're tired of being perceived by a significant portion of the Sacramento public as Las Vegas millionaires who should build the arena with their own money, and who really just want to leave town, anyway.

With a payroll totaling between $65 million and $75 million a year, the team needs every source of revenue it can get, he said.

"There's this myth that all of the sudden we're going to make $100 million a year," Gavin Maloof said. "That's the casino business, not this business. You lose fortunes in sports, you don't make fortunes in sports."

The Maloofs said it's unrealistic to expect sports team owners in cities such as Sacramento, without a large corporate base, to pay for their own arenas.

"It would be a bloody disaster," Joe Maloof said. "Nobody in America could come here to this market, build it privately and expect to last more than three years without a sea of red ink."

Both brothers said that despite the intense speculation about wanting to move the team, they're committed to Sacramento -- where they've paid to field a team that's repeatedly gone to the playoffs.

"We love Sacramento," Joe Maloof said. "We've been here for eight years now. We've given a lot back to the community. We're proud to be in Sacramento."

They had nothing but good things to say about the community leaders running the campaign for measures Q and R, which would raise the sales tax in Sacramento County by a quarter-cent and ask voters if they would like to split the $1.2 billion proceeds between an arena and community projects.

The Maloof family was expected to be a major funder of the campaign, but Joe and Gavin Maloof said they can't contribute until the city and county produce a workable arena deal downtown.

In their absence, proponents for measures Q and R have turned to Thomas Enterprises for help.

"We need Thomas," said River Cats executive Warren Smith, who is running the campaign's fundraising. "We've got a campaign to win."

Totah said Thomas agreed Thursday to help fund the campaign, but did not commit to a dollar amount.

Campaign proponents insisted they would soldier on with or without the Maloofs. But the news that the NBA owners had quit negotiating left some wondering how they could possibly win.

The Maloofs' behavior also left some of those supporting a publicly funded arena questioning if they really wanted to keep the team in Sacramento.

"Are they trying to position themselves in negotiations? Are they posturing? All these things raise questions in people's minds," said Matt Mahood, president and chief executive officer of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.

"That certainly has run through the minds of many people in this community and in this campaign -- that maybe the Maloofs don't want to stay in Sacramento," said campaign spokesman Doug Elmets.

Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson said he thinks the team owners do want to stay -- but perhaps only on their own financial terms.

Dickinson said negotiators for the team were fixated only on areas where they could lose revenue while ignoring potential profit centers, such as an electronic sign on the freeway where they could rent out space, or the possibility of wooing more events with a better facility.

Dickinson said the Maloofs think they "made a major concession" by agreeing to move downtown, when their patrons are happy with the Arco location.

"We see them as taking very little risk, and we see the need to have a partnership with people who will take at least some degree of risk because they're committed to the broader vision of Sacramento."

[urban_encounter]

things like this whole arena debacle will continue to happen until Sacramento is nothing more than a suburb of San Francisco with no unique attributes setting it apart with it's own identity.



Agreed.


One of the biggest obstacles in Sacramento is that people are content with remaining in the shadow of SF, LA and SD. Again Sacramento doesn't need to aspire to eclipse any of those cities, because it never will. But it can apsire to be a very desirable mid sized city like Portland or Austin. It can set a course and a timeline for completing the waterfront, K street, the railyards, the intermodal station and a host of other projects long talked about... Unfortunately there's not much motivation in Sacramento to even do that. Additionally I would blame politicians in Sacramento for failing to articulate a vision and pushing that vision.

I'll pick on Steve Cohn since he's flip flopped on the arena issue. He talked a good game about wanting a new arena but sat on his butt while others picked up the ball and carried it to the finish.. (Rob Fong and Roger Dickinson). Then Cohn decides to oppose the measure (without articulating how he would get the job done).... Politicians like Dave Jones simply want to ensure that Sacramento remains a bedroom welfare community with no means to raise revenue (except the traditonal valley way of building more subdivisons and strip malls)....


Most people in Sacramento are content to fill up there SUV and drive to San Francisco for dinner, a show or to stroll the waterfront (a couple of times a year), spending gobs of money in SF, rather than shell out $50-$100 a year to build the kind of amentities that would make Sacramento a destination instead of a fueling stop. It's pitiful that in 2006 Sacramento's waterfront is still in the condition it's in. It's pitiful that when out of town friends visit Sacramento most Sacramentans are willing to show them around SF, yet are so opposed to creating the kind of city that Sacramento could be (though I suspect will never become)... The construction going on in DT Sacramento may reshape the city's skyline (assuming half of everything proposed get's built and even that is beginning to be called into question as a result of rising constructing costs and a slowing housing market).. But a skyline doesn't make the city or create (by itself) synergy on the ground. Birmingham, Little Rock and Des Moines have decent skylines, but aren't the most exciting cities to visit. What matters is what the city can do to create excitment on the pedestrian level. Cities are remembered not only for architecture; but also for the kinds of civic amenities such as museums, academics, transportation hubs, perfroming arts and entertainment venues. All of which are badly lacking in Sacramento... Don't look for any of that to change anytime soon...

[doriankage]

Gavin Maloof has a different vision of the sports and entertainment district. "We're the anchor tenant," he said. "Bass Pro is a junior tenant."

EGO TRIP! All tenants should work together to get this done.
I must also agree with a lot of the chatter going on about getting this project done. I currently live in San Dieg and love go to the padres games. Why? Easy to get to and I can have a few drinks before and after and not have to worry about where I parked my car.
Same thing in cities around the world that I've visited. It seems like a majority of them are/were financed by the public, I could be wrong. But they have nice stadiums, but the cities they are located in also have a sense of civic pride, which Sacramento does not.
I was just in Sac a couple weekends ago and was shocked by how much it has changed, but I could still feel the "Cowtown mentality" in people.
GROW UP SACRAMENTO AND TAKE THE BOLD STEPS or continue to live in the shadows of the rest of the world.

[Brotha_Lynch]

I agree, let the Kings go to another city! Why not get rid of the city's ONLY attraction. WAY TO GO!

Let's all go back to "MoOoOOoo" days.

[urban_encounter]

I agree, let the Kings go to another city! Why not get rid of the city's ONLY attraction. WAY TO GO!

Let's all go back to "MoOoOOoo" days.


Hey it wont be the end of sports in Sacramento...

The Police and Sheriff's departments can always resurrect the Pig Bowl at Hughes Stadium...


:haha:


But as I've said before, i think the era of Kings basketball is pretty much over. The Maloofs ensured this with their last minute public stomping and crying (a knife in the back to Rob Fong and Roger Dickinson). Blame also rests with the dellusional electorate that have resisted for years the idea of a new arena. But soon enough they will have a huge hole in the ground in North Natomas to chew on (at least until a new subdivison replaces Arco.).

But the way i look at it, it serves all the delusionally minded people in Sacramento right. Sacramento isn't going to get an arena and team without putting up some cash. Once the Kings leave, the notoriously low self esteem of Sacramento will plumet to an all time low. Then in a few years somebdoy will have the courage and knowledge to get an arena (or stadium built)---- Jilted Sacramentans who've been clamoring for a return to the big leagues will approve a package that will end up costing the city and county twice to three times what it would cost today....


If Sacramento ever has a chance to secure another team (once the Kings relocate to Vegas or Anaheim), then that's probably how it would have to play out.

[sugit]

Additionally I would blame politicians in Sacramento for failing to articulate a vision and pushing that vision.

I disagree with that. Improving Sacramento arts, culture, entertainment, ect ect shouldn't be a political game, people in the this city should want it for themselves. They shouldn't need some politiian holding their hands down the road.

I put 90% of the blame on the people of this city for not demanding that they want this stuff. There are some people that do this, but the numbers are still too low.

[innov8]

Improving Sacramento arts, culture, entertainment, I think should be led
by city leaders... how's the public going to get the ball rolling on this stuff?
Joe Serna was one of few, very few leaders who created a vision and gave
the public something to rally around and the reasons why. His mantra was
clear... he would say we have to do this, this, and this if we want
to improve the city and region that we live in… then he would make it
his mission to get it done... we don't hear this anymore. We get the state of the
downtown address once a year now and that's about it.

[Schmoe]

The postive point from the article:

Totah acknowledged Thursday that the "plan did not reflect the deal" and said his firm would go back to the drawing board and redesign the planned sports and entertainment zone to address the Maloofs' concerns.

"There was a lot of miscommunication," Totah said. "We're committed to making this right, to move forward and resolve all the issues."

Doesn't it seem from the Thomas Ent. statements that they will work this out?!?!

I'm disappointed with the Maloofs going public with all this, but there is still a very bright ray of hope here.

[Schmoe]

Double post.

[urban_encounter]

I disagree with that. Improving Sacramento arts, culture, entertainment, ect ect shouldn't be a political game, people in the this city should want it for themselves. They shouldn't need some politiian holding their hands down the road.


There has to be a vision (and by "vision" i don't mean Heather Fargo going on and on about DT redevelopment), which has come to fruition mostly due to the private sector. That's not articulating a vision.

Identify what you want to create and line up the support of local politicans and the business community to help sell that vision of what Sacramento can become.



I put 90% of the blame on the people of this city for not demanding that they want this stuff. There are some people that do this, but the numbers are still too low.

I would say the indiffference is at least 90% and until in changes Sacramento will continue to be the largest (but least cosomopolitan) city in the U.S. It will be just another Valley town full of strip malls and subdivisons.

Actually to say it wil be just another Valley town doesn't tell the whole truth, since there will be more entertainment options in either Fresno or Stockton.

[POGO]

I think you guys are confused. There seems to be a belief on your parts (very clearly stated in some instances) that the citizens are somehow against a downtown arena and want to keep Sacramento as a small town. I don't think that's the case. I believe that everyone I know, across all generations, welcomes the growth, and wants to see more cultural, entertainment and recreation opportunities available locally. I think everyone even agrees that lots of public money is going to be necessary for things to change. I think the electorate at large is just against this particular deal that the politicians crafted and feel the politicos are trying to make an end run around laws that are in place about new taxes. Everyone I have spoken to believes that the railyards are the absolute best place for a new arena, want to see a multimodal transit center developed there, and believe that public money should be used somehow to make the arena happen. But if the public is going to pay for the arena, the public should own the revenue stream from the arena. It makes no sense to anyone I talk to that the public would front the vast majority of the money in this deal, yet the Maloofs would call most of the shots.

In the long term, I view the breakdown with the Maloofs and the certain failure of these ballot measures as a good thing, AS LONG AS WE DON'T ACCEPT THIS ONE DEFEAT AS FAILURE. WE MUST PRESS ON! Now a good plan can be put together for an arena that does not revolve around the Kings. Let them leave.

The City leadership should now form a regional JPA with the county and surrounding counties to come up with a good design in the railyards, put a bond measure on the ballot, and get er done. Don't try to fund it with sales taxes, that won't fly. Kick in some redevelopment $$. This is a much better use of redevelopment $$ that subsidizing hotels in parts of town that are being developed anyway. If the JPA owns the arena, then the JPA can sell the naming rights, not the Kings. If the JPA owns the arena, then the JPA gets the revenue from parking, not the Kings. If the kings want to stay around and play in our arena, we will be happy to rent it to them, at a modest cost, but we get a cut of each ticket, because we paid for the arena. If the JPA decides to build luxury boxes, the JPA can rent them out to corporations. But we get the revenue, not the kings.

I think the majority of the public is wildly in favor of a downtown arena but feels like the financial deal that has been struck makes suckers out of the taxpayers. Nobody likes to feel like a sucker!

[sugit]

There has to be a vision (and by "vision" i don't mean Heather Fargo going on and on about DT redevelopment), which has come to fruition mostly due to the private sector. That's not articulating a vision.

Identify what you want to create and line up the support of local politicans and the business community to help sell that vision of what Sacramento can become.

I would say the indiffference is at least 90% and until in changes Sacramento will continue to be the largest (but least cosomopolitan) city in the U.S. It will be just another Valley town full of strip malls and subdivisons.

Actually to say it wil be just another Valley town doesn't tell the whole truth, since there will be more entertainment options in either Fresno or Stockton.

My problem is why the hell does it have to sold to people? People in this city should WANT these ammenties instead of someone having to tell them what they should want. That is an attitude problem. Like I said before, I'm not just talking about a new arena. A new zoo, botanical gardens, theatres, musuems..ect ect

Sacramento has done some good things last few years. Downtown and midtown are finally coming around, esp Midtown. Maybe I am expecting too much too fast.

[urban_encounter]

Pogo (with all due respect) don't expect anyone to touch this issue for a few years once the Kings leave town (which they will)..

It will be a long long time before Sacramento builds another arena and even longer before professional sports returns to Sacramento...

How long did it take Baseball to return to D.C.??? Besides as markets go Sacramento isn't a very strong market, despite being the 19th largest media market... It's at an automatic disadvantage due to lack of corporate HQs...
Heck the Maloofs had to go out and find another cable company to air the Kings games because even Fox Sports didn't find it very valuable to air the games. They would rather air the Warriors (and that's sad)


As far as the NBA in Sacramento..??? Sorry but those days are drawing to a close as is having a venue to watch concerts...

or as Chick Hearn used to say....

''You can put this one in the refrigerator. The door's closed, the light's out, the eggs are cooling, the butter's getting hard and the Jell-O is jiggling.''


You gotta love that quote...

[Majin]

The past few days have been very sad, makes me want to pack up and leave as soon as I graduate...

...I dont want to sell out though so I'll just probably stay here and live the rest of my live unhappy.

[Majin]

I seriosuly don't understand how a city this large can be at such a disavantage to EVERYTHING...

It seriously confuses me. Sacramento is not a small city by ANY means... there are LOTS of smaller cities than Sacramento with lots more public arts and entertainment, coporate HQ's, with more national attention....

I just don't understand.

[POGO]

Urban, with all due respect, it is impossible for one person to know everything that is going on. Especially if they live in Chicago while the activity we are discussing is in Sacramento. I actually know a number of people who are involved heavily in the campaign. There is a growing, loosely knit coalition of folks that don't intend to let the vision of a downtown arena die until it is done. They believe that it is a vital component of making something out of downtown and the region. If this thing fails (which I think it will) they will regroup and study where it went wrong, then try again. The people I know are succesful business people and politicians who don't quit. It might take ten years, but we will have an arena in the railyards.